�Arguing with a fool proves there are two.�
-- Doris M. Smith --

Kagome sighed heavily, pausing for a moment to wipe the putrid, sticky sweat from her brow. She winced up at the burning sun, groaning mentally as she realized that not a single ounce of shade was within a quarter of a mile radius from her.

Her long sleeves were already rolled up to her shoulders by her grubby hands, her hair tied up high on top of her head. She had long ago rid her feet of all clothing, and they were now bare and muddy from her previous chore of planting rice, one that exhausted her quickly.

She stared at the unscathed wooden training pole in front of her, panting with fatigue as her hands� pink glow began to fade away. She muttered a quick curse under her breath, beginning to panic at the lack of energy she was emitting. She pushed herself, her hands glowing suddenly again before dying out soon afterward.

�Do not overdo it,� Kaede ordered calmly. �Take ye time and relax.�

Kagome sighed again. She had asked Kaede herself to help train her so she could be strong enough to help Sesshoumaru regenerate his arm, but she had no idea that it would be so difficult and tiring. This bit of training in itself was supposed to test the strength of her miko abilities, and if she succeeded in performing this technique, she could use it in an offensive battle. But just how was she supposed to master this skill if she was so damn exhausted?

Planting rice to begin with was a heavy task, one that she insisted to the others (once Inuyasha returned from wherever he was; he hadn�t told her a thing involving his whereabouts) that she could do alone. She was not physically strong, and she tired easily. She had hoped that it would be a nice start to discipline herself strength-wise by doing her own work in the fields.

Whether it worked or not, she couldn�t say. In fact, she couldn�t say much at all, considering the state she was in. She talked Kaede into training her already � and immediately after her planting of rice � and she had to force herself to remember her personal goal in order to not regret her proposal.

She tried again, closing her eyes and focusing her ki to move into her right palm. It was a slow process, but a successful one that tickled her skin at the movement of her miko energy coursing through her veins. Her fingertips twitched at the familiar warmth gathering there, and although her eyes were shut calmly, she could feel the pink color itself. It was a strange feeling that she had somehow grown accustomed to, but it was something so difficult to explain, even to herself, that the only words describing it was that she was feeling a color.

�That�s it,� Kaede muttered loud enough for Kagome to hear through her focused state. �That�s it��

With the encouraging words from the elder miko, Kagome concentrated, the glow of light in her hand growing steadily to the size of a tennis ball. Just a bit more, she thought to herself, sending out a sort of mental wave throughout her arm, causing the light to grow. She continued to pant with exhaustion, but her task was near completion, and the pink blaze had almost filled her entire palm.

�That�s it!� Kaede�s proud smile reflected in her voice. �Go on, now.�

Kagome opened her eyes completely at first, but her lack of physical energy made them half-lidded soon enough. She began to walk, one foot slowly passing the other in a weak step, but she refused to give up now.

Her paced steps sped up as she moved along, and they continued to quicken until she was nearly sprinting with anticipation. Her panting grew heavier as she willed herself to keep going, hoping that the ball of light in her hand would not diminish anytime soon.

She was nearing the six-foot training log protruding from the dirt ground at a rapid pace. Just yards away from it, she lifted her right hand behind her head, the light still glowing. She ran faster and faster, preparing herself for the impact with the wood in front of her. She positioned herself, just about to come in contact with the training pole, and then�

She stepped on a rock.

She stumbled, her bare foot poked and in an annoying pain, and although her miko energy had successfully barged into the vertical log right in front of her, her power was not enough, thanks to her stagger. She looked up slowly, her ki quickly evaporating from her palm and disappearing altogether, and the sight before her made her look down all over again.

The dent in the log was not even the size of a golf ball. It was not a particularly deep dent, nor was the overall radius more than an inch or two.

She cried out, frustrated. All that time and energy, all that sweat and hard work, and she had barely done a thing, thanks to her little slip-up and that damn rock!

Kaede came up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. �Do not worry, Kagome. Ye have worked much too hard today. Perhaps it is time to stop for the day.�

�No!� she cried immediately, barely leaving a pause between Kaede�s words and her own. She had to master her powers before the next week and a half were up! Once Sango returned, she knew they would all have to leave to hunt for the Shikon shards, and Sesshoumaru would be long gone. She needed to learn these skills as soon as possible, or she would never be able to help the taiyoukai, as strange as it sounded.

�Kagome, take a rest. Perhaps ye should return to ye time for a moment and relax.�

�No!� She sat on her knees, her hands placed on the ground in front of her, and she looked up at Kaede. �I haven�t yet reached my limit! I can do it again; you just watch!� She began to stand up, struggling a bit, considering she was still exhausted and it was only just past noon, which was the hottest point of the day.

�Kagome,� the elder miko said again, �ye have no more energy within ye. Ye will most likely not recover until late tonight, when ye will be�preoccupied. I suggest ye go home and bathe, and I will speak to Inuyasha about letting ye rest the rest of the day.�

�But the work�� Kagome looked up, horrified and still trying to stand.

�The work will be taken care of.� Kaede bent down, holding out a hand for Kagome to grab onto. The younger priestess refused it and pushed herself to the near limit in order to stand on her own, which she finally accomplished, although she looked as though she would topple all over again if the wind would just blow a bit stronger.

�Inuyasha won�t be��

�I shall speak with him.�

Kagome sighed lightly, giving in, albeit reluctantly. She nodded slowly, beginning to walk back to the village, stumbling with fatigue. Kaede followed, stepping in front of her so she would stop. Bringing her left hand to Kagome�s forehead, she focused her own invisible ki to mesh with Kagome�s own pink and dwindling one, supplying a small hint of energy within her, enough so she could walk on her own.

�Arigatou, Kaede,� Kagome smiled softly, not completely amazed at the action, as she could also perform that same technique herself. She had some skills, yes, but it was the difficult ones she wished to master.

�Come along, Kagome,� Kaede suggested quietly, and the trainee followed her temporary sensei without complaint.

Sesshoumaru stood from his current spot at the base of the tree, thoughts of Kohana swimming through his head, no pun intended. That wretched girl, plaguing him like she was!

Jaken and Rin watched him as he moved for the first time in hours, since the reappearance of Inuyasha, to be exact. Ah-Uhn remained asleep, basking in the warmth of the sun shining through the treetops.

Sesshoumaru blinked slowly, wanting to shake himself so he could be rid of his thoughts of that vixen of a mermaid. She would not be on his mind any further, he decided. Whatever it took to think of something else for a change would be welcome to him.

He turned away from his wards, walking away in a paced tempo. He needed to get out of here, away from this area where he was caught stroking that lily of hers and where Inuyasha learned a bit about her. He refused to think about it. He refused to be reminded of her!

�My lord!� Jaken screeched. �Where are you going?�

�Silence, Jaken.�

�Hai, my lord!�

Jaken began to pick up Ah-Uhn�s reins, Rin watching and waiting, but Sesshoumaru�s words cut them short.

�Stay here.�

The others watched his back disappear, staring at him innocently until his form was out of view completely. Sesshoumaru was aware of their gaze, but it did not unnerve him. His mind was too preoccupied with his frustrations that he did not bother to care.

Kohana.

No, she was not to be thought of! She was not to be puzzled about any longer, and she was not to be obsessed over. He was not supposed to look forward to their meeting tonight, and she was not supposed to make him feel so inferior just by smiling at him. That lily in his pocket and the handmade necklace hidden beneath his armor were just ordinary tokens, nothing special.

He was not sure what he despised most: the frustrating and new feelings stirring inside him, or the way he thought he could lie to himself in the first place.

He stared into space, not paying attention to where he was going, thanks to his obnoxious thoughts, and he had walked for many minutes by the time he realized where he was.

He could see a clearing straight ahead. It was the clearing, the one where he disappeared to for the past three nights � four, if he counted tonight. He had tried before, and there was no use trying again: the barrier that would lead him to the lake was nonexistent during the daytime.

All the same, he growled softly at the irony of it. He had walked to escape his thoughts of Kohana, yet he had subconsciously brought himself to the very place where he first spotted her.

He turned to leave and walk away from the dreadful place, but a scent lingered on his sensitive nose, and he was surprised about how long it took for him to catch it.

It was Inuyasha�s wench again. Was it not enough that he had to be bothered by her and her companions just yesterday? She was a nuisance, he had decided throughout the time span of which he knew she had existed.

His gaze intensified slightly as he remembered that first time he came to this clearing, before he had seen Kohana. He had detected that girl�s scent nearby, her presence disappearing from somewhere in this clearing. Perhaps she came here often?

His delicate and pointed ears picked up the sound of rustling paper. Paper? Why would the miko have paper, unless it was some sort of sutra? But something was off, he noted. He was aware of the sound of such paper, considering all the books and scrolls in his father�s old library, not to mention the sutras present in futile missions to exorcise him, but the sound of this paper was�strange. It did not sound the same, but it was paper nonetheless.

Curious, Sesshoumaru brought himself closer to the edge of the clearing, hearing the sound again not long after. He came closer and closer to it, the miko�s undeniable scent becoming clearer to his clouded senses.

He took one last step, bringing his body next to a tree and just in the view of the girl. His golden eyes widened slightly at the sight of her. He was not surprised by her looks, as she seemed exactly the same as always, in those strange and degrading clothes of hers. He was not surprised that she was alone, knowing his irritable half-brother. He was, rather, surprised at what she held in her hands:

A book.

The girl was reading a book!

How was that possible? How was such a common and vulgar girl capable of reading such a thick text? She looked calm, reading it, and so very used to it. She did not seem captivated by the story, as though she had read many such things before.

Sesshoumaru was aware of the limits of education for both humans and demons. Both could read simple things, such as prices and a few words written on signs, but very few of each could easily and effortlessly be able to read sentences of kanji and be able to understand them, let alone an entire book. And so casually, she was reading it!

The girl turned the page, not yet noticing his presence so close to her. She was really a very ridiculous miko, not even noticing him.

Listening again to the sound of the turning page, his eyes narrowed in suspicion and confusion. The pages were not made of the same rice paper he was accustomed to. They looked smoother and less yellow; they were a genuine white, and the kanji was written with such a precision that each stroke was not smeared, but, rather, perfectly written. The ink did not look like the kind he had seen either, and not a single bit of the book�s words looks like they had been written with a brush; not even the thinnest of them could have written such small kanji!

The girl sighed, pausing in her reading to take a breather and look around. It was awhile before she looked in his direction, but once she did, she made a double-take, her eyes widening significantly. She blinked a few times, as though trying to make certain he was really there, but even when reality seemed to crash on her, she did not run or cry out for Inuyasha, something that slightly startled Sesshoumaru.

The entire time she watched him, he remained still and stoic, only moving to look down at her once she regained composure.

She gaped for a few more seconds � looking even more ridiculous than usual, he mentally added � before quietly forming the words she struggled to speak.

�Sesshoumaru,� she said calmly, although still utterly shocked, �what are you doing here?�

Kagome mentally praised herself for not stuttering, like she thought she would. But honestly, what on Earth was Sesshoumaru doing here? Surely he was much too busy to bother himself with someone like her!

She had come here to this familiar clearing in hopes for silence and relaxation, once she had finished bathing and had grabbed an easy-to-read book from her shelf; she was still completely exhausted from her earlier training, and she refused to read something complicated. Speaking of which, she was so tired that she had not even sensed Sesshoumaru�s presence here! It would not do, she realized, for her to be so clueless while by herself and surrounded in a youkai-filled area.

Kagome blinked at Sesshoumaru�s lack of response. He said nothing, but instead moved closer slowly � albeit with long strides � staring at the book in her hands, all the while.

Kagome fidgeted, still sitting in the grass. My, wasn�t this awkward? She couldn�t stand such tension!

�Well, what is it?� she bit out rudely, a bit frustrated under his scrutinizing gaze. She immediately tensed, her eyes widening as she grit her teeth. Baka, she thought to herself, he�s going to crush me!

She looked up at him, catching his heated glare. He did not respond to her impolite words, opting to move his gaze back to the open book in her hands, yet again.

�Read it.�

Kagome blinked up at him, her uneasy face settling to one of confusion. �Excuse me?� Sesshoumaru glared again, and she regretted her words for the second time in a row. �Ano, I mean�hai!� She stammered a bit, shaking her head and clearing her throat nervously. You would think that he would be easy to remain calm in front of, considering all that�s happened between us these past few nights!

�Ano�� she muttered to herself again, trying to find the beginning of a sentence, aware of the taiyoukai�s stare as he read the kanji himself, and upside-down, no less, as he was standing in front of her. He seemed to be checking if she was reading correctly, the insufferable demon!

Clearing her throat one last time, she read aloud:

��My name is Alice, but��

��It�s a stupid name enough!� Humpty Dumpty interrupted impatiently. �What does it mean?�

��Must a name mean something?� Alice asked doubtfully.

��Of course it must,� Humpty Dumpty said with a short laugh: �my name means the shape I am � and a good handsome shape it is, too. With a name like yours, you might be any shape almost.�

��Why do you sit out here all alone?� said Alice, not wishing to begin an argument.

��Why, because there�s nobody with me!� cried Humpty Dump��

�That�s quite enough, Miko.� Sesshoumaru�s words were sharp and annoyed, successfully halting Kagome in her smooth reciting. He seemed bothered, as though the thought of her reading in general was ridiculous, and that she was tricking him, somehow, by doing what he had asked her to do in the first place.

Kagome couldn�t stop the glare that she directed at him. �Oi, you�re the one who asked me to read, and I�ve done it. You don�t have to be so rude about it!�

Sesshoumaru scowled at her, baring his fangs as he lifted a dangerous and clawed hand. He grabbed the color of her shirt, roughly forcing her to stand, book in hand. He brought her close and glowered at her before pushing her back a bit and looking back down to the book.

Kagome had to catch her breath after being handled the way she was, and she rubbed the base of her throat, irritated and making it very clear that she was so. Sesshoumaru paid her no mind, but instead flipped to another random page, successfully losing her place in the book, and pointed at a spot, silently commanding that she read it.

�Uggh!� she growled at him, shoving his hand away from her precious text. He growled himself, in response, his eyes flashing dangerously. Kagome blinked nervously, catching that she was being just as rude as he was, and that he would possibly kill her if she didn�t just shut up and do what she was told. All the same, she hated being forced into obedience, especially by someone who was acting as spoiled as that ruddy Sesshoumaru was!

She never would have guessed that such a kind, gentle demon that spoke to �Kohana� would suddenly transform during the daytime, as she did, into someone so rude and infuriating! But what could she do about him? What choice did she have now?

She began to read once again.

Sesshoumaru clenched his fist beside him, thanks to the troublesome girl in front of him. She was entirely frustrating! If she could just obey her superiors and read that damn book of hers without complaint, he would not be so willing to break her neck and shut her up. If he did that, though, he would never gain all the proof he needed that the miko could actually read.

She was proving, so far, that she could indeed comprehend the kanji, but he refused to believe it so quickly! She was reading so clearly and without falter, but he rejected the thought that it was possible, and that, perhaps, she could even read better than he!

Maybe she had just memorized that page she was on before? He would trick that girl and flip the page, making her �read� something she had not prepared herself for.

There was no way that Inuyasha�s wench could be so�educated!

He glared at the girl one more time, and she submitted, reading the next few sentences that he commanded she read:

��How do you know I�m mad?� said Alice.

��You must be,� said the Cat, �or you wouldn�t have come here.�

�Alice didn�t think that proved it at all: however, she went on: �And how do you know that you�re mad?�

��To begin with,� said the Cat, �a dog�s not mad. You grant that?��

Sesshoumaru let an eyebrow disappear beyond his hairline at the miko�s words. An inu such as he: crazy? As if that was possible! He had to agree at the text the girl was reading. Dogs were not mad, nor were they ridiculous in the slightest, except, perhaps, Inuyasha. All things had an exception, he believed.

��I suppose so,� said Alice,� the miko continued to read.

��Well, then,� the cat went on, �you see a dog growls when it�s angry, and wags its tail when it�s pleased. Now I growl when I�m pleased, and wag my tail when I�m angry. Therefore I�m mad.�

��I call it purring, not growling,� said��

�That�s enough,� Sesshoumaru interrupted again. If that was the logic from the miko�s silly book, and that cats were only preposterous because they were opposite from dogs, then whatever it was that Inuyasha�s wench was reading was ridiculous itself. Although he agreed slightly, having not being very fond of felines, the logic was much too simple for his tastes, and he fumed.

Or perhaps he was only so frustrated because that baka of a miko had read once again, and he had read the kanji himself to make sure she wasn�t just making up the story as she went along. He was furious to admit to himself that she had read correctly, word for word. Maybe she had memorized the entire book?

One more test, he decided, flipping the pages once again to a spot somewhere in the middle. Pointing to a new set of kanji, he glared once again, and she, as usual, gave one straight back before looking down again and reading, not putting up another argument, Sesshoumaru was grateful for:

��Have some wine,� the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.

�Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. �I don�t see any wine,� she remarked.

��There isn�t any,� said the March Hare.

��Then it wasn�t very civil of you to offer it,� said Alice angrily.

��It wasn�t very civil of you to sit down without being invited,� said the March Hare.

��I didn�t know it was your table,� said Alice: �it�s laid out for a great many more than three.�

��Your hair wants cutting,� said the Hatter. He had been��

�Miko,� Sesshoumaru angrily interrupted for the last time, �your book makes no sense whatsoever.�

She looked up from her book and gave him a sharp and angry look. �First of all, my name is Kagome, not Miko.� The taiyoukai simply looked away, far from amused. �And second, my book does make perfect sense! It�s twisting around common phrases to play around with words and make puns. It�s supposed to be funny, and something can�t be funny unless it makes sense, you know, at least not in books.�

�It�s ridiculous, not humorous,� he bit back at her, his temper easily rising with every second he stayed in her presence.

The girl, Kagome, cried out at him, making frustrated noises in the back of her throat. �Do I have to remind you again that you were the one who wanted me to read this to you in the first place? If you have so many problems with it, you don�t need to waste time for either of us simply because you think that I��

�How is it that you can read?�

She blinked, pausing and staring up at him as though his question made less sense than that book of hers, when, in fact, he believed it to be a very logical question, and one in dire need of an answer.

�What�s it to you?� she stalled, her eyes narrowed in his direction as she stuttered only slightly.

�I suggest,� he continued, �that you answer my question without complaint, Miko.�

The word alone made her blush with anger, and he noticed her gnawing at her lip, struggling to keep her ludicrous words to herself, but to no avail. �Kagome!� she corrected. �And I do believe that it�s none of your business whether I can read or not!�

Sesshoumaru glowered at her, his fangs shining in the sunlight dangerously. How dare this inferior girl defy him! He was her lord (he believed) and a taiyoukai that could so easily destroy her without a passing glance, and she dared to speak to him the way she was! �You will tell me, Miko, why it is that you can read.�

�My name is Kagome!� she cried, loud enough to scare some birds from their places on branches in the trees. She angrily threw herself at him, her hands pink and glowing.

Sesshoumaru stared, not entirely surprised by her ki, but more so because he had never seen her use her hands to express her power. Before he could blink, though, the light had vanished, and the girl, instead, ran straight into him.

His eyes glowed red.

Sesshoumaru�s metal breastplate jammed into Kagome�s sides, whisking her breath away as she gasped for air to recover. She tensed, aware that she had just collided straight with a very dangerous taiyoukai, and that she couldn�t even hold her miko energy in her hand for longer than a second because she was already so weak and tired from the morning�s activities and training.

I�m screwed!

She looked up slowly, book still in hand, and tensed even more at the blood red color of his eyes. She shivered nervously, terrified for her life. She had seen his eyes, as well as Inuyasha�s, decorated in that shade before, but she had never been more afraid in her life.

She was alone, alone and powerless, and she was the main cause of his anger. She had never been at the receiving end of those burning eyes filled with bloodlust, and she had never been as defenseless as she was now. Even if she had her arrows with her, she highly doubted that she could defend herself without her energy.

She opened her mouth to call for Inuyasha, but she couldn�t find her words; she was still out of breath from the collision with Sesshoumaru�s spiked chest. She took a step back slowly, hoping to calm him down enough so she could flee, but her resistance was, indeed, futile.

One of Sesshoumaru�s sharp claws shot out so quickly that she couldn�t even pick up the action, and he grabbed her by the neck tightly, lifting her to his eye level. Her book dropped to the ground, pages landing first, but Kagome didn�t notice as she automatically moved her hands up to grab onto Sesshoumaru�s wrist, maroon stripes painted on his flesh.

She whimpered softly, unable to tear her frightened eyes away from his deadly ones. There was no possible way that this could be the same Sesshoumaru who had treated her so kindly every night. Who was this demon?

Although she was scared, her temper definitely did not disappear. It only grew as she became bitter at this Sesshoumaru, a feeling similar to hatred bubbling in her chest. She did not know this demon! Whether he knew it or not, he was betraying her and her trust, and she glared at him through her horrified stare.

Sesshoumaru did not seem to notice, or if he did, he did not care. He ran his index finger against the creamy flesh of her throat, slicing it open enough so it bled. She hissed in a stinging pain, her grip on his wrist tightening.

�Your insolence is unnecessary, Miko,� he growled at her. His voice was deeper than usual, and anger protruded from it; it was anger so frightening that Kagome could not help but shudder with terror. She was thankful that tears did not prick her eyes; she was never one who wanted to be seen as a coward, especially because she was among the weakest of her friends.

She wanted to cry out, but she still couldn�t, thanks to her situation. She was bleeding just a bit, yes, but why couldn�t Inuyasha smell it? Why wasn�t he coming for her? She was desperate for help, struggling to get away from the taiyoukai�s deadly claws.

Sesshoumaru did not bode well with her struggling, and his grip tightened around her throat, choking her and causing her to cough before she regained her ability to breathe shallowly.

Sesshoumaru growled lowly and threateningly at her, and her hatred for him grew. It burned her chest and crushed her friendly feelings for him that she had somehow gotten a hold of after those few nights. She looked down at his own neckline, spotting a very familiar handmade necklace beneath his armor, and she had never been more infuriated in her life.

There was no way that this was the same Sesshoumaru.

She cried out angrily, finally finding her voice, but no words. She clawed at his wrist, although he did not flinch, and she thrashed and kicked at his armor, making sure to avoid those sharp spikes at the top. She grunted with every kick she gave, digging her nails into his flesh at every second, and she ignored the flow of blood from her neck; the cut had gotten deeper throughout her actions, but that was not an accident.

Sesshoumaru�s eyes flashed in their terrifying state as he growled loudly and angrily. He purposefully slashed his claws against her throat, rewarding her with numerous shallow, but bloody, cuts.

Kagome did not let up on her actions, going on a rampage powered by her disgust and loathing. Her attacks were useless and did not harm him, but they successfully angered him to the point that he could not take it any longer, and he roughly threw her to the floor.

She gasped at the contact, the grass not cushioning her fall in the slightest. Her neck stung painfully, and her back seemed to be bruised, considering how hard he had thrown her. She was a yard or two away from him now, flat on her back and unable to get up quickly. She had reached her limit now, exhaustion piling on her and adding to her inner and outer pain.

Sesshoumaru took long strides toward her, his eyes softening to pink, although it was obviously forced. He kicked her book to land right beside her before standing at her feet, glowering down at her.

�You should learn your place, Miko,� he said calmly and softly, although it was the most frightening voice Kagome had ever heard. �I should annihilate you right this second, but I will resist.�

Kagome found her voice, but it was strangled and soft. �Why?� she whispered, still angrily and full of hatred. �Why don�t you just kill me now and get it over with?� She immediately regretted her words. She did not wish to die, no, and especially not at his hands. Thankfully, he did not swoop to kill her.

�Next time, I shall kill you.� His eyes narrowed even sharper. �You are to be kept alive for now, but only for a single reason: Inuyasha.�

Kagome stared up at him, gasping for air. �N-nani?�

He ignored her and continued. �In every battle I have had with him, I have been able to harm him so wonderfully.� His eyes grew darker for a split second. �And it is all thanks to you, Miko.�

She shuddered, gaping and trying to catch her breath. She was at loss for words; she did not understand, nor did she want to, but Sesshoumaru continued nonetheless:

�The hanyou must always waste his time in saving your �precious� life.� His stare became serious and cynical, and Kagome�s eyes widened in realization. �You never fail to get in his way. You are a weakness, you are a hindrance, and you are a burden.�

Kagome lost her breath once again, without her realizing it. Every word Sesshoumaru had uttered just now was true, down to the dot.

She was a burden.

Everything seemed to click at his words: why Inuyasha had always yelled at her; why her friends always had her do the dirty work, or why they would use her as a babysitter, rather than show up in battle; why they all got hurt�why Inuyasha always had to get hurt. It was why Inuyasha could never be happy. It was why Inuyasha could never be with Kikyou without screwing things up. It was why�

Everything was her fault.

You are a burden.

�That is why I shall not kill you now.�

Kagome shut her eyes tightly, the rest of her remaining still as saltwater leaked from beneath her closed eyelids. She did not take notice in Sesshoumaru leaving her in the clearing, storming off angrily with his eyes still pink with frustration.

You never fail to get in his way.

What was she but a nuisance? What was she but something else to protect? What was she but a useless shard-detector?

You are a weakness.

She sat up from her place in the grass, careful of her bruised back. Her tears of self-pity flowed from her eyes, dripping down beneath her chin and mixing with her bloody neck. Her hands twisted around each other in her lap, nearly cutting off her circulation.

You are a hindrance.

Why was she crying like this? Why was she proving herself to be just as weak as everyone seemed to believe her to be?

Sesshoumaru.

He had frustrated her, commanded her, terrified her, degraded her, and hurt her. Where was the Sesshoumaru from the nighttime? Where was his kindness, his compassion? Where were his words, and where was his embrace?

Where was Sesshoumaru?

And now he had put the truth right in her face, and she couldn�t handle it any longer. Why was she here? Why was she just lying around, and why did she think she could read peacefully?

No, no more. She would need to train harder than ever, no longer to help Sesshoumaru, but to help herself. She would not let his words be true any longer. She refused to be what he said she was. She would train harder than ever, and she would prove herself. She would be able to hold out on her own, and she would no longer cause harm to her friends.

She would not cause harm to Inuyasha.

She would show that damn Sesshoumaru. She would show them all. Sesshoumaru was wrong. He was wrong!

She looked at the book at her side, sprawled on the ground face-down. Her tears flowed freely now, and she bent her knees upward, hugged them to her, and buried her head within them.

This would be the last time she cried.

This would be the last time she got in the way.

This would be the last time Sesshoumaru would accuse her of such things.

Her shoulders shook, her hair curtained her face, and she sobbed.

You are a burden.

--TBC--